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Origin wins best short mountain film, BMFF

November 7, 2018 – Origin is proud to have won best short mountain film at the Banff Mountain Film Festival for its production in partnership with MEC, Chasing Sunrise.

One of a three-part, cross-Canada video documentary series designed to shine a light on the face of visible minorities in the outdoors, the film follows Azzah Ahmad as she finds solace in nature whilst healing from recent family trauma and injury. While the story was created to recount the experiences of a young, non-white woman for whom experiencing the outdoors was not a cultural priority, Origin’s intent was to produce a film that would resonate with anyone introduced to the outdoors in their adult life. Though the film was not created with the intention to win awards, Origin is humbled by those who are resonating with the admirable journey Azzah has gone through.

The film is far more authentic than the number of films boasting superheroes with enormous muscles. Azzah has a genuine interest in experiencing the world and through doing that she delivers an important message – everyone has the right to connect with nature.

PAWEL WYSOCZAŃSKI JURY MEMBER

Graeme Meiklejohn, Origin cinematographer for the film, was surprised to win “because it’s something so different from what you usually see in these festivals. It’s incredibly inspiring to be a part of the festival and such an honour to take home an award with the rest of the MEC & Origin team. Hopefully, the movie will get more people talking about representation in the outdoors"

It was a first time for MEC to, not only discuss ethnic diversity, but also be documentary storytellers. Origin was proud to be a part of that process and looks forward to continue collaborating in ways that promote diversity in the outdoors.